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Questions and Answers of
Management Leadership
Defend or attack the following two statements concerning the operation of a matrix:There should be no disruption due to dual accountability.A difference in judgment should not delay work in progress.
A company has fifteen projects going on at once. Three projects are over $5 million, seven projects are between $1 million and $3 million, and five projects are between $500,000 and $700,000. Each
A major insurance company is considering the implementation of project management. The majority of the projects in the company are two weeks in duration, with very few existing beyond one month. Can
The definition of project management in Section 1.9 identifies project teams and task forces. How would you distinguish between a project team and a task force, and what industries and/or projects
Can informal project management work in a structured environment at the same time as formal project management and share the same resources?
Several people believe that the matrix structure can be multidimensional (as shown in Figure). Explain the usefulness of such a structure.
Many companies have informal project management where work flows horizontally, but in an informal manner. What are the characteristics of informal project management? Which types of companies can
Some companies have tried to develop a matrix within a matrix. Is it possible to have a matrix for formal project control and an internal authority matrix, communication matrix, responsibility
Is it possible for a matrix to get out of control because of too many small projects, each competing for the same shared resources? If so, how many projects are too many? How can management control
A government subcontractor operates with a pure specialized product management organizational structure and has four product lines. All employees are required to have a top secret security clearance.
A company has decided to go to full project management utilizing a matrix structure. Can the implementation be done in stages? Can the matrix be partially implemented, say, in one portion of the
A company has two major divisions, both housed under the same roof. One division is the aerospace group, where all activities are performed within a formal matrix. The second division is the
Several Fortune 100 corporations have a corporate engineering group that assumes the responsibility of the project management–project engineering function for all major capital projects in all
From S. K. Grinnell and H. P. Apple (“When Two Bosses Are Better Than One,” Machine Design, January 1975, pp. 84–87):People trained in single-line-of-command organizations find it hard to serve
David Cleland (“Why Project Management?” Reprinted from Business Horizons, Winter 1964, p. 85. Copyright © 1964 by the Foundation for the School of Business at Indiana University. Used with
The contractor’s project office is often structured to be compatible with the customer’s project office, sometimes on a one-to-one basis. Some customers view the contractor’s project
C. Ray Gullet (“Personnel Management in the Project Organization,” Personnel Administration/Public Personnel Review, November–December 1972, pp. 17–22) has identified five personnel problems.
Some people believe that a project manager functions, in some respects, like a physician. Is there any validity in this?
Paul is a project manager for an effort that requires twelve months. During the seventh, eighth, and ninth months he needs two individuals with special qualifications. The functional manager has
Some of the strongest reasons for promoting functional engineers to project engineers are:Better relationships with fellow researchersBetter prevention of duplication of effortBetter fostering of
The following have been given as qualifications for a successful advanced-technology project manager:Career has progressed up through the technical ranksKnowledgeable in many engineering
W. J. Taylor and T. F. Watling (Successful Project Management, London: Business Books, 1972, p. 32) state: It is often the case, therefore, that the Project Manager is more noted for his management
Frank Boone is the most knowledgeable piping engineer in the company. For five years, the company has turned down his application for transfer to project engineering and project management stating
Tom Weeks is manager of the insulation group. During a recent group meeting, Tom commented, “The company is in trouble. As you know, we’re bidding on three programs right now. If we win just one
You are a project engineer on a high-technology program. As the project begins to wind down, your boss asks you to write a paper so that he can present it at a technical meeting. His name goes first
Research has indicated that the matrix structure is often confusing because it requires multiple roles for people, with resulting confusion about these roles (Keith Davis, Human Relations at Work,
For each of the organizational forms shown below, who determines what resources are needed, when they are needed, and how they will be employed? Who has the authority and responsibility to mobilize
Do you agree or disagree that project organizational forms encourage peer-to-peer communications and dynamic problem-solving?
The XYZ Company operates on a traditional structure. The company has just received a contract to develop a new product line for a special group of customers. The company has decided to pull out
You are the project engineer on a program similar to one that you directed previously. Should you attempt to obtain the same administrative and/or technical staff that you had before?
A person assigned to your project is performing unsatisfactorily. What should you do? Will it make a difference if he is in the project office or a functional employee?
You have been assigned to the project office as an assistant project engineer. You are to report to the chief project engineer who reports formally to the project manager and informally to the vice
Should individuals be promoted to project management because they are at the top of their functional pay grade?
Should one functional department be permitted to “borrow” (on a temporary basis) people from another functional department in order to fulfill project manning requirements? Should this be
Should a project manager be paid for performance or for the number of people he supervises?
Should a project manager try to upgrade his personnel?
Why should a functional manager assign his best people to you on a long-term project?
A coal company has adopted the philosophy that the project manager for new mine startup projects will be the individual who will eventually become the mine superintendent. The coal company believes
Can a project manager be considered as a “hired gun”?
Manufacturing organizations are using project management/project engineering strictly to give new employees exposure to total company operations. After working on one or two projects, each
Can a project manager create dedication and a true winning spirit and still be hated by all?
Can anyone be trained to be a project manager?
A power and light company has part-time project management in which an individual acts as both a project manager and a functional employee at the same time. The utility company claims that this
Some industries consider the major criterion for promotion and advancement to be gray hair and/or baldness. Is this type of maturity advantageous?
In Figure we showed that Al Tandy and Don Davis (as well as other project office personnel) reported directly to the project manager and indirectly to functional management. Could this situation be
Most organizations have “star” people who are usually identified as those individuals who are the key to success. How does a project manager identify these people? Can they be in the project
Considering your own industry, what job-related or employee-related factors would you wish to know before selecting someone to be a project manager or a project engineer on an effort valued at:a.
One of the major controversies in project management occurs over whether the project manager needs a command of technology in order to be effective. Consider the following situation: You are the
As a functional employee, you demonstrate that you have exceptionally good writing skills. You are then promoted to the position of special staff assistant to the division manager and told that you
Government policymakers content that only high-ranking individuals (high GS grades) can be project managers because a good project manager needs sufficient “clout” to make the project go. In
A major utility company is worried about the project manager’s upgrading functional employees. On an eight-month project that employs four hundred full-time project employees, the department
A major utility company begins each computer project with a feasibility study in which a cost-benefit analysis is performed. The project managers, all of whom report to a project management division,
How would you go about training individuals within your company or industry to be good project managers? What assumptions are you making?
Should project teams be allowed to evolve by themselves?
At what point or phase in the life cycle of a project should a project manager be appointed?
Top management generally has two schools of thought concerning project management. One school states that the project manager should be used as a means for coordinating activities that cut across
Some executives feel that personnel working in a project office should be cross-trained in several assistant project management functions. What do you think about this?
A company has a policy that employees wishing to be project managers must first spend one to one-and-a-half years in the functional employee side of the house so that they can get to know the
Your project has grown to a point where there now exist openings for three full-time assistant project managers. Unfortunately, there are no experienced assistant project managers available. You are
A functional employee has demonstrated the necessary attributes of a potentially successful project manager. Top management can:Promote the individual in salary and grade and transfer him into
A project manager finds that he does not have direct reward power over salaries, bonuses, work assignments, or project funding for members of the project team with whom he interfaces. Does this mean
For each of the remarks made below, what types of interpersonal influences could exist?a. “I’ve had good working relations with department X. They like me and I like them. I can usually push
Do you agree or disagree that scientists and engineers are likely to be more creative if they feel that they have sufficient freedom in their work? Can this condition backfire?
Should the amount of risk and uncertainty in the project have a direct bearing on how much authority is granted to a project manager?
Some projects are directed by project managers who have only monitoring authority. These individuals are referred to as influence project managers. What kind of projects would be under their control?
As a project nears termination, the project manager may find that the functional people are more interested in finding a new role for themselves than in giving their best to the current situation.
Richard M. Hodgetts (“Leadership Techniques in the Project Organization,” Academy of Management Journal, June 1968, pp. 211–219) conducted a survey on aerospace, chemical, construction, and
In a project environment, time is a constraint rather than a luxury, and this creates a problem for the project manager who has previously never worked with certain team members. Some people contend
Project managers consider authority and funding as being very important in gaining support. Functional personnel, however, prefer friendship and work assignments. How can these two outlooks be
On large projects, some people become experts at planning while others become experts at implementation. Planners never seem to put on another hat and see the problems of the people doing the
What kind of working relationships would result if the project manager had more reward power than the functional managers?
For each of the following remarks, state the possible situation and accompanying assumptions that you would make.a. “A good project manager should manage by focusing on keeping people happy.”b.
Can each of the following situations lead to failure?a. Lack of expert powerb. Lack of referent powerc. Lack of reward and punishment powerd. Not having sufficient authority
One of your people comes into your office and states that he has a technical problem and would like your assistance by making a phone call.a. Is this managing or doing?b. Does your answer depend on
On the LRC, can we structure the responsibility column to primary and secondary responsibilities?
Discuss the meaning of each of the two poems listed below:We shall have to evolveProblem solvers galoreSince each problem they solveCreates ten problems more.Author unknownJack and Jill went up the
What is the correct way for a project manager to invite line managers to attend team meetings?
Can a project manager sit and wait for things to happen, or should he cause things to happen?
The company has just hired a fifty-four-year-old senior engineer who holds two masters degrees in engineering disciplines. The engineer is quite competent and has worked well as a loner for the past
Suppose the linear responsibility chart is constructed with the actual names of the people involved, rather than just their titles. Should this chart be given to the customer?
How should a functional manager handle a situation where the project manager:a. Continually cries wolf concerning some aspect of the project when, in fact, the problem either does not exist or is not
How do you handle a project manager or project engineer who continually tries to “bite off more than he can chew?” If he were effective at doing this, at least temporarily, would your answer
A functional manager says that he has fifteen people assigned to work on your project next week (according to the project plan and schedule). Unfortunately, you have just learned that the prototype
Manpower requirements indicate that a specific functional pool will increase sharply from eight to seventeen people over the next two weeks and then drop back to eight people. Should you question
Below are several sources from which legal authority can be derived. State whether each source provides the project manager with sufficient authority from which he can effectively manage the
Is this managing or doing?MANAGING DOING_________ ________1. Making a call with one of your people to assist him in solving a technical problem._________ ________2. Signing a check to approve a
Below are three broad statements describing the functions of management. For each statement, are we referring to upper-level management, project management, or functional management?a. Acquire the
Decide whether you agree or disagree that, in the management of people, the project manager:Must convert mistakes into learning experiences.Acts as the lubricant that eases the friction (i.e.,
Functional employees are supposed to be the experts. A functional employee makes a statement that the project manager does not believe is completely true or accurate. Should the project manager
Below are four statements: two statements describe a function, and two others describe a purpose. Which statements refer to project management and which refer to functional management?● Function●
Manager A is a department manager with thirty years of experience in the company. For the last several years, he has worn two hats and acted as both project manager and functional manager on a
Is it possible for a product manager to have the same degree of tunnel vision that a project manager has? If so, under what circumstances?
Your company has a policy that employees can participate in an educational tuition reimbursement program, provided that the degree obtained will benefit the company and that the employee’s
Establishing good interface relationships between the project manager and functional manager can take a great deal of time, especially during the conversion from a traditional to a project
John is a functional support manager with fourteen highly competent individuals beneath him. John’s main concern is performance. He has a tendency to leave scheduling and cost problems up to the
Projects have a way of providing a “chance for glory” for many individuals. Unfortunately, they quite often give the not-so-creative individual an opportunity to demonstrate his incompetence.
Are there situations in which a project manager can wait for long-term changes instead of an immediate response to actions?
Is it possible for functional employees to have performed a job so long or so often that they no longer listen to the instructions given by the project or functional managers?
On Tuesday morning, the customer’s project manager calls the subcontractor’s project manager and asks him a question. On Tuesday afternoon, the customer’s project engineer calls the
Below are eight common methods that project and functional employees can use to provide communications:a. Counseling sessions e. Project office memob. Telephone conversation f. Project office
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